Malasakit Centers served 7-M beneficiaries
Reduced hospital bills helped many indigent patients
Some 153 Malasakit Centers across the country have served more than seven million Filipinos since Senator Christopher “Bong” Go started it as a small initiative to ease and expedite the processing of medical assistance of indigent patients back in 2018 when he was special assistant to then president Rodrigo Duterte.
The Department of Health reported the milestone under its Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients Program, where representatives of PhilHealth, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office process financial assistance for medical service under one office.
Gloria Villoronte was among the thankful beneficiaries of Malasakit Center which facilitated her free admission and treatment of her thyroid problem at the Tondo Medical Center.
Another beneficiary, Esnihaya Ampao from Lanao del Norte is thankful of the one-stop shop for medical aid after receiving free natal service when she gave birth to her child.
Ampao’s aunt and uncle also received assistance from the center when they were hospitalized due to illness.
Clupix Cultura, a five-year-old thyroid patient, had his medicines, diagnostic exams and other hospital bills covered by the government through the help of Malasakit Center.
Rosemarie Sanoria personally thanked Go during his visit to Mandaue City in Cebu to provide assistance to fire victims there.
The senator remembered Sanoria approaching him in 2019 for help to treat her spine curvature disorder that was caused by a fall.
“She thanked me saying if there was no Malasakit Center, she would have been paralyzed by now,” Go said, recalling his meeting with Sanoria.
“She did not pay anything for the laboratory exams and 3-month physical rehabilitation at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, where we opened the first Malasakit Center in February 2018,” he added.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Health feels happy that Malasakit Centers are helping many Filipinos.
Go expressed confidence that the Malasakit Center will continue to be very helpful to his fellow countrymen who have nowhere else to go for medical aid but to the government.
“We started it because we don’t want the public to suffer. The government simply returned the money and service that the people should get through fast and reliable service with care,” Go said.
Go is initiating more health services for Filipinos.
“I encourage our countrymen with health concerns to not hesitate in getting service from Malasakit Centers. As long as you are a Filipino, you are qualified to be served by any Malasakit Center. Go to the Malasakit Center nearest to you and they will help you lower your hospital bill to the lowest amount possible.”
Meanwhile, Go is initiating more health services for Filipinos who can hardly afford hospitalization.
He is pushing for Senate Bill 189 which seeks to provide free annual medical check-up for all Filipinos, and SBN 190 which shall mandate the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to fully cover all costs of dialysis treatments, sessions and procedures done in health facilities accredited by PhilHealth.
“This is a big help for poor patients so their budget for food and other needs won’t be affected by medical expenses,” he said.
The senator is also pushing for the establishment of Super Health Centers in strategic locations where basic health services are not easily accessible, particularly in rural areas.
SHC is a rural health center offering more health services such as database management; out-patient; birthing; isolation; diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound); pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit; eye, ear, nose and throat service; oncology; physical therapy and rehabilitation; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
The senator shared that the national government has allocated appropriate funds to be able to construct 307 SHC across the country in 2022.
He also successfully pushed for additional funds in the 2023 health budget to ensure additional SHC are continuously constructed.